The present invention relates to a method of deactivating dust mite allergens.
Various allergens are known which are transported through the air to trigger a human reaction. For example, it has been known for a long time that house dust can trigger allergenic reactions in humans, such as asthma and rhinitis. It was reported as early as 1928 that it was the dust mites in the dust that were the primary source of the allergenic response, but it was only in the 1960's that researchers appreciated their significance.
It is believed that the feces of the house dust mite, Dermatophogoides farinae (known as Der-f) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (known as Der-p), trigger the immune response of the body, thereby giving rise to well known allergenic symptoms. A review of this is given in Experimental and Applied Acarology, 10:167–186 (1991).
One way to overcome these allergenic responses has been to vacuum clean surfaces, such as carpets, that contain the dust mites and their feces thoroughly and often, but that is both time consuming (it has to be regularly done to ensure an allergenic free environment) and is very dependant on the efficiency of the vacuum cleaner and filter bag used, e.g., micron filter bags or two layer vacuum bags.
An alternative method of creating an allergen-free environment has been to denature the allergen, for example, by using an allergen denaturant applied to airborne allergens by means of an aerosol spray device. Such a device produces an aerosol spray when activated and this spray may be targeted at any space which is to be treated.
The allergens to be treated are airborne particles and the use of a known aerosol spray device results in a low collision rate between the allergen denaturant and the airborne allergens. The practical consequence of such a low collision rate is that the allergen denaturant must be used in a high amount in order to be effective. There may be other consequences such as, in the case where the aerosol spray composition includes a perfume or fragrance, a strong perfume smell or a limited fragrance choice.
PCT/GB98/02863 describes a method for deactivating allergens derived from the Der-f and/or Der-p dust mite species, which comprises contacting the allergen with a deactivating amount of one or more of a variety of 28 deactivants as described. The deactivants which are specified for use include cedarwood oil, hinoki oil and thymol (6-isopropyl-m-cresol).